According to the Yonhap News Agency, the Korea Baseball Organization announced Friday in Seoul that Major League Baseball will send a team of stars to South Korea for a series of exhibition games in November.
The KBO will host MLB players for four games as part of the “MLB World Tour: Korea Series” to commemorate the KBO’s 40th anniversary.
The games will take place in mid-November, following the World Series. Yonhap has provided additional information:
Sajik Stadium in Busan, home of the KBO club Lotte Giants, will host one game each on November 11 and 12.
MLB players will then travel to Seoul for two more games, one each on November 14 and 15, at Gocheok Skydome, home of the Kiwoom Heroes in the KBO.
According to the KBO, this will be the first series of games played on South Korean soil by an MLB All-Star team since 1922.
MLB players appeared in Japan, Korea and China as part of a 1922 tour that included Casey Stengel, Waite Hoyt and Herb Pennock.
Since 1986, MLB has sent a team of stars to Japan for what is known as the MLB Japan All-Star Series. The most recent edition was held in 2018, with Japan winning five of six games.
This year, the MLB World Tour: Korea Series will presumably replace the MLB Japan All-Star Series.
Korea is home to three active major leaguers: Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Ji-Man Choi, San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, and Boston Red Sox outfielder Rob Refsnyder.
Refsnyder was born in Seoul and adopted as an infant by a family in California.
A fourth, Toronto Blue Jays lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu, is currently rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
MLB and the MLBPA agreed to play more games (both exhibition and regular season) in other countries as part of the new collective bargaining agreement in an effort to grow the game.
Between now and 2026, games will be played in the Dominican Republic, London, Mexico, Paris, and Puerto Rico, in addition to South Korea.
Earlier this month, MLB announced that the Cardinals and Cubs will play a two-game regular-season series in London next season.
The Korea Series tour roster and schedule will be announced in September.
